God Is My Fortress by Ann Elaine Broughton

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:1-2 NIV).

Can you say this? When the enemy is at your door and threatening to break it down can you say that you will never be shaken because God is your fortress? The enemy can come in different forms: depression, self-hatred, weaknesses, sin, and sickness, to name a few. Do you love God enough to believe that He will never leave you or forsake you?
When we were visiting in Hungary while my son and daughter-in-law were on a mission trip, we saw a fortress. It was on the highest hill overlooking Buda and Pest. I remember that because it was January, very cold, and we had to walk up that hill to see it. It was daunting. The fortress was called the Citadel. It had 60 cannons around the outside walls. It was formidable. You would consider it a safe place to be in case of a war.
You see you and I are at war with something that can’t be seen. But it is just as scary, because it can cripple you if you let it get hold of your heart. It is only in trusting in the Lord and letting Him be your fortress that will keep you safe from evil. Who is your rock when the enemy comes looking for you? Do you have tendency to count too much on friends for help? What if your friends aren’t around? Then who will help you? I think sometimes we have a tendency to put people up on a pedestal who we consider to be great Christians. We believe they have all the answers, but you see God wants us to trust in Him. It is good to consult other Christians, but the ultimate answer must come from what you feel the Holy Spirit is telling you to do. He alone is the one you can depend on to be your rock and salvation. Trust only in Him and His word so that you will never be shaken.
Dear Lord,
Help me to be safe in your fortress and never be shaken when life rears its ugly head to bring me to my knees. I know I can run to you and be safe for you are my God.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

God is Our Deliverer by Ann Elaine Broughton

“Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me” (Psalm 69:1-2 NIV).

Have you ever felt like you were drowning in troubles? Are you sinking into the miry depths? I believe that many of us have been there in this life. Sometimes it seems that the worries of this world are too much for us, and we feel overwhelmed by stress. We are caught in an undertow of misery.
I would like to give you a visual of this. Today I went for a hike along the Maumee by the dam. I stood by the dam and watched the water. On one side of the dam the water seemed peaceful and calm. I noticed a log floating gently towards the dam. When it went down to the bottom of the dam I saw something very different. The log was captured by boiling and rolling waters. It was muddy and churning. The log got caught in an undertow. It would go a few feet away from the falls and get sucked under only to be slammed into the dam again. This kept happening over and over.
Do you feel like this log? Are you or someone you know caught in an undertow of worry, sickness, addiction, or depression? It can feel like this. Like you are being sucked under and trying so very hard to swim away from that undertow. I have experienced tremendous depression with fibromyalgia. I know what it is like to feel like you are drowning in sorrow and pain. But when I have hit the bottom, I prayed and found the peace that flooded my soul. Just as Peter, when he was trying to walk on the water in the storm, was lifted out by God’s hand, so you can be lifted up to the light by God’s love. I know because I have felt that love totally surround me and bring me hope. Hope. Isn’t that a wonderful word? One of my favorite verses that I recite when I am struggling is: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31 NIV).

Trust in the Lord and pray to Him when you are feeling as if you are in an undertow of worries. He will be there for you.
Dear Lord,
I know that you will never leave me or forsake me. When I feel overwhelmed by life’s problems, help me to call on you. I know that you will give me perfect peace.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

The Lord is With the Brokenhearted by Ann Elaine Broughton

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18 NIV).

Have you ever been brokenhearted? I believe all of us have experienced a time in our lives when our hearts did indeed feel broken. It could have been when someone you loved died or when someone you cared about dearly just dropped out of your life. I have experienced it and you actually feel as if your heart is breaking.
When my boys were little we took in a foster daughter whom we loved as our own daughter and we wanted to adopt her. She rejected us and didn’t want any of our love whatsoever. I actually felt like my heart was broken because I loved her and wanted to help her. When she rejected my love it was heart wrenching. I stumbled through that year with her in complete remorse. She left us after the school year to live with another foster family. Being heart broken is so very hard, but my faith in God carried me through it. I prayed constantly and tried to help her see that God loved her also. She had such a tough life and needed to know that there was a Savior who loved her no matter what her past was like. At least she went to church with us every Sunday.
I am hoping that something we did for her made a lasting affect on her life. I had to give that to the Lord. Worrying about it didn’t help and she was in His hands ultimately. All we can do is the best we can.
Maybe you are feeling heartbroken at the moment. The Lord is there for you. “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17 NIV). Jesus loves you and knows your burdens. He is compassionate. When his friend, Lazarus died, he went to Martha and Mary and seeing them crying was moved to cry with them. He will bring you peace and joy eventually. “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NIV). Trust God and He will change your sadness to joy once again.
Dear Lord,
In our lives there are times when our hearts are broken. Help us during that season of our lives. Give us the peace that only you can give.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Be Patient by Ann Elaine Broughton

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not boast, it is not proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV).

How patient are you? If you are like most people, patience is one of the fruits of the spirit that is a challenge. Sometimes it is very easy to love someone and be patient with them. But there are some people who can really try your patience. These people may be prickly people. You know who I mean. Those people who find the worst in every situation and are very negative. Maybe there are people around you who are always putting others down. These are prickly people. Have you every hugged a porcupine? It is kind of difficult isn’t it? But Jesus said that we are to love everyone. “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19 NIV). Patience to love even the prickly people in your life takes a lot of prayer. It is my experience that people who are hard to get along with have some issues in their lives that need fixed. They need a lot of love. So it is up to us to show them Christian love.
Jesus is the ultimate example of showing love and patience. People jostled him constantly needing to be healed and begging for a miracle. He never yelled at them, but showed them love and understanding. He even took under his wing his own betrayer, Judas. He never berated Judas as far as we know, and during the Last Supper he called him friend. “Friend, do what you came for” (Matthew 26:50 NIV). He knew that Judas was going to betray Him and He called him friend. That is love. Could you do that?
Who in your life needs love that is patient? Jesus is patient with us you know so we should be patient to others. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV). If God can be patient with us, we can show love and patience to everyone.
Dear Lord,
Help me to be patient when prickly people enter my life. Help me to show your love to them, to keep my temper in check, and make sure that the words I speak are words that you would speak to others.
In Jesus’ love,
Amen

You Need To Be As Humble As A Child by Ann Elaine Broughton

“Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14 NIV).

Jesus loved children and made many references about how we are to have the faith of a child in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4 NIV). Have you noticed how much faith a little one has? They believe without a doubt about Jesus and heaven with complete innocence. That is how we are to accept what we know about the Lord.
I recently read a book called “Heaven Is For Real” by Todd Burpo. It is a true story about a 3 year old boy who had a heaven experience when he was being operated on for a burst appendix. He saw some amazing things in regards to heaven and his father, being a preacher, made a biblical reference for each thing his son told him. When he got better he would over time tell his dad about heaven. One thing that stood out for me was that he kept telling his dad that Jesus really loved children. Over and over again he would tell his dad that. Then when someone died he went with his folks to the funeral home and kept asking his dad if the person knew Jesus. He practically yelled to his dad saying, “But dad, he can’t get into heaven if he doesn’t know Jesus.” He was adamant about it. He was sincere and worried.
I believe that is what we should be doing. We should have the same passion for the Lord as this child. To have a childlike faith is to believe without a shadow of a doubt that He exists and that He has prepared a place for us in heaven. Do you truly believe this? Then it is time to put your faith into action.
Dear Lord,
Humble me completely. Let my faith be as a child. Help me to believe in the unbelievable and know that all things are possible with you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen